Seethransom

Male

New London, CT

I have many interests. I can give you some info related to why I am here.
As a kid, I took everything apart. Tools were hidden from me, as I took apart a nice turntable at 4. I also gave myself a good shock taking apart a light switch. When I was older (and taught more about electricity), I was given back some tools, and was only allowed to poke around broken stuff. People would come to me with old radios, and such. Sometimes I fixed one. Felt cool.
I was given one of those Radio Shack 100 in 1 kit. I loved it. I also played with Erector sets, and other industrial things. I even figured out the Rubik's cube, without taking it apart. I love puzzles,I found puzzles in many places as I grew up. My patience, and focus on a project would be a gift.
Video games were also a passion. Not only playing them, but (since I was not allowed to open the Atari up) how they were made. This was more than a game machine. It was a TV channel. I control it! Making a pong line go up and down is my broadcast. Friends called me stupid, but my Dad assured me I understood it more than others cared to. Sometimes I could see others playing on my TV upstairs. The shielding wasn't that good.
I also used to go to work with my Dad. He was a system's analyst in the 80's. He worked at the Pentagon for a while. Down in the rat and roach infested basement (I once went exploring, and met with armed MP's wanting to know why I was wandering the halls aimlessly). I learned how to play Adventure Text game, somewhat. At Pfizer, I discovered the Vax system. I was too young to be malicious, but I poked around as far as I could go. I also was introduced to Rogue.
In around that time, we got a 5200. To me it was perfect. My ability to hack around helped the controllers live. The games were so much more accurate to the 2600.
As I was reaching H.S. age, computers were hitting the schools. We had a commodore 64, few IIe's. A Friend had a TRS-80. We would enter the codes in the magazines to make a game. I kinda learned how to change some program stuff, or write the quotes to something dirty. Whatever, I was learning right? My Teacher hated the Bell sound on the IIe, so I made a program to make his computer beep constantly when turned on, with each one saying Beep on the screen. Not knowing how to stop the loop, he had to turn it off. He was pretty mad, and gave me extra credit... I made programs (nothing intricate) into college (they used the DEC Vax stuff too). I could change settings on the terminals to drive people nuts. If got bored programming. I could do anything assigned, but I was not as imaginative enough. I liked other people's games.
This is when the PC was entering the scene with 286/386 systems. "Affordable". My family had one, but I had moved out. I loved it so much, I bought a (get this) Goldstar computer. 386/16 basic computer. $1500. After hacking around, I found the MODEM, and all the places I can go with it. I became a BBS-holic. I also like Prodigy. AOL was expensive, unless you knew how to dodge them.
Since I had a jank computer. I had to make many upgrades. This lead to me building, and fixing computers. I was the one to go to.
I was also the gadget guy. I had my NES, and SNES.
For a few years, I went to PC gaming. It was nice, but expensive. $50 for a game isn't bad. It was $200 for the video card, to run the game...
My new roomy had a N64. I was back to the console. I felt the tech was up to just about PC specs. Plus, consoles are the true plug and play.
Over the years I built more computers, fixed them. Used them to my extent. I am happy with my laptop now. I no longer do anything that great with them.
Over the years I played more consoles, the Dreamcast being my favorite.
Since I decided that computers is no longer a hobby I need to fill the void. Something less expensive.
I picked retro consoles. Starting with the 5200. I hope to have much more. I am a hands on collector. That means I don't want the pristine. I want the ones that need to be brought back as close to original as possible. The tinkering is half the fun.
Playing is the other half. I love many games. Two that stick out the most is Adventure for the 2600, and Space Dungeon for the 5200. Startropics for the NES. Sonic. Tony Hawk, Rez, Golf, Need for Speed, Blur, and many others bring us to today.
You may want to see my Facebook (/seethransom), or Twitter (@seethransom) to learn more interests, and thoughts. That is, if you want to. I also DJ on Turntable.fm My Email is Atticseethr@aol.com

Currently I am playing Tony Hawk HD on Xbox360. I am playing Asteroids 2600 on my Xperia Play. MLB in 3D on my Ps3 (poem). I am enjoying the hell out on my Atarimax on my 5200!

I'm not looking forward to the next gens, so I'll be playing retro!